Dying Restaurants

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With all the great new restaurants coming on the scene (Miller's Ale House, Logan's, Panera Bread), there seems to be a rash of closings as well. Does anything know what happened to some of these places?

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Good Time Charlies became The Black Bean Cafe. Scales and Tails closed down because the owner wanted to retire. I am not sure why Italian Pie closed down, but I am sure the horrendous service and spotty food had something to do with it.

Restaurants can close just as long as there are others to replace it and preferably in the old location. Nothing sadder than a closed down building just sitting there unused.

We still have Macaroni Grill on the horizon, the rumoured Ruth Chris' downtown....

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The building that Cool Grindz operated out of downtown had for a while been up for sale or lease. The sign read the building not the restaurant. It could be possible that their lease was an option lease and they decided not to purchase the building and are now considering another downtown location.

Does anyone remember "The Mill". There was a location on N. Monroe about where Chick Fil A is and another on the parkway near Banjos. They had some of the best muffins I've ever tasted. What happened to them?

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The building that Cool Grindz operated out of downtown had for a while been up for sale or lease. The sign read the building not the restaurant. It could be possible that their lease was an option lease and they decided not to purchase the building and are now considering another downtown location.

Does anyone remember "The Mill". There was a location on N. Monroe about where Chick Fil A is and another on the parkway near Banjos. They had some of the best muffins I've ever tasted. What happened to them?

yes, the mill was bad arse..... so good,.

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If my memory serves me correctly, I believe the Parkway location is now the Mexican place, La Fiesta, & the North Monroe location is now Roadhouse Grill. I really miss The Mill. Not sure why they didn't last. For some reason I thought of them as a franchise but not 100% sure on that.

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I do not know the reason The Mill closed, but that won't stop me from speculating. I ate many meals and drank many Mill-brewed beers at the N. Monroe store (btw, Chick-fil-A now sits on this site). Sometimes 4-5 meals per week when I was a student, doing hard labor at Publix. I remember going there for muffins in high school, so it dates to the late 80's, if not earlier.

The start of their downfall was when they went to a sit-down restaurant. Originally, you went through a line to order your sammich or salad or pay for your muffins, by the time you reached the register, your custom made food was ready. (Man, the name of the sandwich I always got escapes me - it was chipped ham, turkey, roast beef on a french roll, then heated with provolone on top and any accouterment you desired. Mmmmmm.....) There was a bar with a separate entrance on the side and an upstairs that, I think, was an open-air deck (long before AJ's). Anyways, mid-90's they converted to sit-down - you can in, were seated at a table, ordered from a menu, etc.; traditional restaurant experience. Also near this time, the Parkway store was opened and more crucial a whole generation of Mill managers and workers all graduated from school and left. It was never the same. The N. Monroe store closed maybe two years later and Shrimp Pocket (or something) moved in (briefly). Really - why would a frozen shrimp chain try to set up shop 70 miles from Eastpoint ... I digress. The Parkway Mill lasted 2-3 more years, but the restaurant was HUGE and it never caught on with people in the area. You could go there and have the whole back room (with the salad bar) to yourself.

Much like with all the good, old traditions, the Mill faded away.

I just re-read TJ's post at the top - does this reply make me an old-timer? I think I'll go lay down for a while.

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I always thought the Mill was a chain. I do know that in the last year of the Mill on the Parkway, it was going down the drain in service and quality. I did like their muffins though. I think the first Mill on N. Monroe where Chick-fil-a is was turned into a Shell's restaurant for several years. I never liked them at all.

I sometimes think that most restaurants (I'm not saying all of them) have a true life of about 5 years... maybe a little more. But in the end, most die or become boring and stale after that time period, I'M TALKING ABOUT YOU BENNIGAN'S! It could be the public's fault since we are always looking for new and exciting things. But whatever the reason, most rarely survive after 10 years, with fast food and diners being the exception to that rule.

I too can confirm that Cool Grindz downtown is closed. I saw that the one at Lake Ella Publix was open on Sunday afternoon, so I assume they are still up and running for business. What a shame they closed their downtown location. I thought it was a great space for downtown. They were never sure what they wanted to be: bar, coffehouse, restaurant, so maybe that helped w/their demise. I know several times I was there after 10pm I could not get coffee. Maybe he should have worked the lunch crowd in Tally more. At one time he had hopes of opening the upstairs as a bar. I hope another food service/lounge opens up there. I'd hate for it to become another boring law office or association hdqtrs. We have too many of those as it is.

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I agree Poonther, way to many suits downtown. The Cool Grindz location downtown reminded me of Shisha Cafe on Tennessee Street. If you've never been there, you should go. At night it's a Hooka bar. lol!

JBarber, your writing above qualifies you as a Tallahassee Old Timer. I didn't know much about the Mill other than their great muffins and the neat little water driven spin wheel outside of the building. I thought that made the place so unique and thinking back I sure hate they had to remove such a cool looking building.

Anyone ever eat at El Chicos across the street from the Mill, next to Dairy Queen and WCTV's News Bureau?

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I agree Poonther, way to many suits downtown. The Cool Grindz location downtown reminded me of Shisha Cafe on Tennessee Street. If you've never been there, you should go. At night it's a Hooka bar. lol!

JBarber, your writing above qualifies you as a Tallahassee Old Timer. I didn't know much about the Mill other than their great muffins and the neat little water driven spin wheel outside of the building. I thought that made the place so unique and thinking back I sure hate they had to remove such a cool looking building.

Anyone ever eat at El Chicos across the street from the Mill, next to Dairy Queen and WCTV's News Bureau?

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I agree...El Chico's is pretty decent as far as chain Tex-Mex is concerned. I really like their building the way it is set back from Monroe with the oak and palm trees covering it up.

I still think we need more ethnic restaurants on that side of town particularly Asian (PEI WEI occupy the old Italian Pie NOW!)

The Cool Grindz closing downtown is a disappointment, but Poonther was right about its schizo nature. A coffeehouse that doesn't serve coffee past 10 pm on any night is not a coffehouse or coffee lounge, whatever. I sorta wish that the location would go back to being like CPA; we need another gay bar anyway. Well, a decent one for that matter.

That location has a lot of potential to be something very cool especially since its so large. Let's cross our fingers something great fills in that space.

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I agree...El Chico's is pretty decent as far as chain Tex-Mex is concerned. I really like their building the way it is set back from Monroe with the oak and palm trees covering it up.

Their sign says they've been there fro 27 years (or something like that,) so they must be doing something right. I've only been there one time, about 2 years ago. It was decent enough, nothing to write home about, but good. I've not been back since that initial visit, but I would. I agree their front yard is great. That is a true North Florida look to me: a big live oak complete w/spanish moss and several palms under it. That's the look we should strive more for....Tallahassee where the South meets Florida....and to me that landscaping look says it all.

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I agree...El Chico's is pretty decent as far as chain Tex-Mex is concerned. I really like their building the way it is set back from Monroe with the oak and palm trees covering it up.

I still think we need more ethnic restaurants on that side of town particularly Asian (PEI WEI occupy the old Italian Pie NOW!)

The Cool Grindz closing downtown is a disappointment, but Poonther was right about its schizo nature. A coffeehouse that doesn't serve coffee past 10 pm on any night is not a coffehouse or coffee lounge, whatever. I sorta wish that the location would go back to being like CPA; we need another gay bar anyway. Well, a decent one for that matter.

That location has a lot of potential to be something very cool especially since its so large. Let's cross our fingers something great fills in that space.

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I agree...El Chico's is pretty decent as far as chain Tex-Mex is concerned. I really like their building the way it is set back from Monroe with the oak and palm trees covering it up.

The beautiful El Chico building was at one time the studios & offices for WCTV before they moved way out on Hwy 12. Thank goodness they've come to their senses & moved back into town with the renovation of the old Oak Lake cinema building on Halstead Blvd. The building and property where El Chico sits is still owned by the Phipp's family, original owners of WCTV.

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Cool Grindz used to be a bar called CPA (Club Park Avenue) it was a gay bar on some nights particularly Saturday night. It was great because they had more than one dance floor and the upstairs was open too...A really fun place. Eventually ownership changed and the new owners lost their lease and soon after that their liquor license. On a side note, those same owners bought the old Louvre location on Gaines street which is that empty shell of a building directly N or the new Marriott on Gaines...

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When I walked by Cool Grindz downtown the other day, there was a paper sign in the window that said they were closed for the summer vacation and would be reopening with the fall semester. Business would be terribly slow through June, July, and August, without school kids and the legislative session. Maybe the closed sign is smart business. Goodness knows they make enough money at the Lake Ella location to cover the rent these months that the shop is closed.

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I don't like that Cool Grindz has closed for the summer. If they are going to be a downtown business, they should remain open at least for a limited amount of time during the summer. There are still people who work downtown year round and Cool Grindz could remain open for lunch. Closing shop for the summer is not a good idea towards making downtown an 18-hour destination. For some reason, I just get a bad vibe from their decision making...

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I don't like that Cool Grindz has closed for the summer. If they are going to be a downtown business, they should remain open at least for a limited amount of time during the summer. There are still people who work downtown year round and Cool Grindz could remain open for lunch. Closing shop for the summer is not a good idea towards making downtown an 18-hour destination. For some reason, I just get a bad vibe from their decision making...

Amen AiT! It's like they are telling me as a current downtown resident that I don't matter. There's still a big lunch crowd in the summer they could tap into. I won't be surprised if they don't open back up. I guess the for lease sign is for the upstairs?

P_McLane you prove w/your post that walking IS better than driving. Good eyes!

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I don't like that Cool Grindz has closed for the summer. If they are going to be a downtown business, they should remain open at least for a limited amount of time during the summer. There are still people who work downtown year round and Cool Grindz could remain open for lunch. Closing shop for the summer is not a good idea towards making downtown an 18-hour destination. For some reason, I just get a bad vibe from their decision making...

It would be nice if small businesses could always make decisions based on the best thing for the community, but in many cases they have to do what it takes to stay viable. If it were a big chain restaurant, we would not have to worry about that, but that obviously is a trade off.

That kind of decision is strange though, to consider that being closed would lose you less money than being open? Rent has to be a pretty high cost at that location.